Régnié

A Gallo-Roman villa belonging to a man named Réginus may have given the commune its name; François Myard, author in 1907 of 'Le vigneronnage en Beaujolais', confirms the existence of the villa. The Abbey of Cluny seems to have owned vines near the village: a Cluny charter of 992 records a gift to the abbey of the chapel of Sainte-Marie in the village of Dueri (Durette), with the donor's lands, vines, meadows and mills in that parish. From 1769, Régnié and Durette were among the 16 Beaujolais parishes authorised to ship their wines to Paris; the commune lies on the road to the Loire Valley, so its wines could reach Paris as early as the 18th century. The Grange Charton estate in Régnié, bequeathed to the Hospices de Beaujeu in 1809 by the De Millières sisters, is the seat of the Hospices' vineyard operation. Previously Beaujolais with the 'Villages' mention, the wines were recognised as AOC Régnié by a decree of 20 December 1988; the delimited parcel area is the one approved by INAO's national committee at its sessions of 2 and 3 June 1988.

• A Gallo-Roman villa of one Réginus may have given the commune its name
• A Cluny charter of 992 records a gift to the abbey that included vines at Dueri (Durette)
• From 1769, Régnié and Durette were among 16 Beaujolais parishes authorised to ship wine to Paris
• Recognised as AOC Régnié by a decree of 20 December 1988, having previously been Beaujolais with the 'Villages' mention

Régnié sits between Brouilly and Morgon. The zone lies on the eastern edge of the Monts du Beaujolais below the Fût d'Avenas, a summit of 842 metres, 50 kilometres north of Lyon and 22 kilometres from Villefranche-sur-Saône, with the Ardières as its southern limit. It falls within the granite massif known as 'de Fleurie', a coarse-grained granite that weathers into very permeable sandy formations called arènes. Delimited parcels lie on granitic slopes between 250 and 450 metres, with shallow, free-draining sandy soils on the steep slopes of the centre and north, deeper sandy-silt soils more or less rich in clay on gentler slopes in the south, and clayey, often stony alluvial soils on old terraces. Vines average 350 metres in altitude on southeast-facing slopes. Soils are 64% granite and 34% piedmont deposits, and the pink-granite soils are mineral-rich. The climate is oceanic with continental and southern influences, with about 750 millimetres of rain a year and a mean annual temperature close to 11°C; the Monts du Beaujolais shelter the vineyard from westerly winds and their foehn effect dries the air, while the Saône valley carries southern influences marked by strong summer heat.

• Parcels between 250 and 450 metres on granitic slopes
• Granite 64% and piedmont deposits 34%
• Oceanic climate with continental and southern influences; about 750 mm of rain a year
• Located between Brouilly and Morgon

Gamay N is the principal variety, with aligoté, chardonnay and melon permitted only when interplanted and limited to 15% in each parcel. Vineyards have a minimum planting density of 6,000 vines per hectare and short pruning; the yield is 56 hl/ha with a rendement butoir of 61 hl/ha, grapes need a minimum sugar content of 180 g/l and a minimum natural alcohol of 10.5%, and the wines are aged until at least 15 January after the harvest and released to consumers from 1 February. Producers use a vinification in which traditional fermentation and semi-carbonic maceration coexist. Style follows soil: wines can be more structured from parcels on clay soils, and more supple and fruity from parcels on arènes. Young wines are a purplish red that turns garnet over time, often with floral and red fruit notes that take on spicy nuances, and a very fruity palate of raspberry, redcurrant, blackcurrant or blackberry. Plum and spicy, mineral notes can also show on the nose, and the palate tends to combine red fruit, freshness, structure and delicate tannins.

• Principal variety gamay N; aligoté, chardonnay and melon only when interplanted, up to 15% per parcel
• Yield 56 hl/ha and rendement butoir 61 hl/ha
• Traditional fermentation and semi-carbonic maceration coexist
• More structured wines from clay soils, suppler and fruitier wines from arènes

The church of Régnié-Durette, with its two spires, was built in 1867 to plans by the architect Pierre Bossan, who later built the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. Since 1967 producers have collectively offered a selection of Régnié wines at the 'Caveau des deux clochers'. As the most recent of the 10 crus, Régnié is designated the 'Prince du Beaujolais'. The most-claimed lieux-dits include La Basse Ronze, La Haute Plaigne, Les Chastys, Vallières and Croix Penet. Decanter's Andy Howard MW (updated 2021) lists Guy Breton and Domaine Rochette among top producers in Régnié, and Charly Thévenet bought a 3ha vineyard in Régnié in 2007.

• Double-spired church built in 1867 to plans by Pierre Bossan
• Producers' collective 'Caveau des deux clochers' since 1967
• Designated the 'Prince du Beaujolais' as the most recent cru
• Producers in Régnié include Guy Breton, Domaine Rochette and Charly Thévenet

Primary sources (INAO and Inter Beaujolais): https://extranet.inao.gouv.fr/fichier/PNO-CDCRégnié--CN221130.pdf, https://www.inao.gouv.fr/produit/regnie-ou-regnie-cru-du-beaujolais-17297, https://www.beaujolais.com/en/appellation/regnie/, https://www.beaujolais.com/en/legal-notice/. Secondary sources: https://www.decanter.com/premium/beaujolais-top-scoring-st-amour-regnie-julienas-and-chenas-2018-wines-455349/, https://www.decanter.com/premium/new-faces-beaujolais-393219/. Last verified 2026-10-05